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- For other uses, see The Lamb (disambiguation).
The Lamb is a poem by William Blake, published in Songs of Innocence in 1789. Like many of Blake's works, the poem is about religion, specificially about Christianity. "We are called by his name" implies that God is present in each one of us. The lamb in the poem is meant to represent Jesus as a gentle, peaceful man.
It is said that the poem was intended to be set to music, which is why the words are so simple. The Lamb has been successfully made into a song by Vaughan Williams. It was also set to music by Sir John Tavener, who explained that "The Lamb came to me fully grown and was written in an afternoon and dedicated to my nephew Simon for his 3rd birthday."
The Lamb relates to another of Blake's poems, The Tyger, in Songs of Experience. One interpretation is that The Lamb is a look at childish innocence, and that The Tyger refers to the innocent child growing up. The latter contains the contrasting image, and contemplation, of God.
External links
"The Lamb"